THX
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THX sues Apple for speaker designs found in iDevices and iMacs
THX has filed a lawsuit against Apple alleging the computer maker has infringed on its speaker designs. As Bloomberg reports, THX holds a patent that was granted in 2008 that covers narrow-profile speaker designs in consumer electronics and their ability to boost sound output. The technology is used in the iPhone 4S, the iPhone 5, some models of the iPad and some iMacs. THX alleges that Apple's use of the patented technology is causing the company "monetary damage and irreparable harm." It is seeking an order from the court to instruct Apple to stop using the technology and to pay the company reasonable royalties and damages. Readers can see the speaker design in the new iMac (above) that THX alleges infringes on its patent.
THX sues Apple over speaker patent
Audio titan THX has filed a lawsuit against Apple, claiming that Cook and Co. infringed a patent it has for technology regarding narrow profile speakers with enhanced sound output that can be built into electronics. According to the court filing, versions of the iPhone, iPad and iMac are culprits that rely on the tech in question. Apple Insider notes that the new, slender iMacs seem to use a design similar to one described by THX, which includes channeling audio down a slim duct. Though THX is out to stop the infringement or collect damages from Cupertino, both companies could settle their differences before the affair escalates into a full-on courtroom brawl.
THX tune-up is a free iOS app for home theater fans
Here's something nice from those folks at THX. It's a free app (through February 4, then it's US$1.99) that allows you to assess the state of your home theater and make adjustments to improve audio and visual performance. THX tune-up connects to your TV with the Apple Digital AV Adapter and an HDMI cable. You'll want the Lightning cable version if you have a newer device. It can also connect to your Apple TV with a wireless connection. You can check your screen's aspect ratio, brightness, contrast color and tint. The app also uses your iOS camera to set color and tint with special built-in filters. Audio tests include sample sounds to see if your speakers are hooked up in the proper surround locations and if they are in phase. Once you are finished the set up process, the app can play some really high-quality trailers, and the famous THX Deep Note in 5.1 surround. I tried the THX tune-up app and it worked as advertised. The setups are pretty basic, but it is surprising how many home theaters are pretty out of tune. The app is not a substitute for a professional visit, but most home theaters will be improved. The app is universal and runs on the iPhone 4 or above, the iPod touch (fifth generation) and the iPad 2 or above. The app is optimized for the iPhone 5 and requires iOS 5. This is a pretty slick app if you're into home theater and movies, so grab it while it's free and enjoy. %Gallery-177559%
THX releases iOS app for calibrating your home theater's visuals and audio
Audio titan THX has released its very first mobile app, and it's aimed at helping folks fine tune their home theater experience. Dubbed "THX tune-up," the app slings videos, photos and test patterns to televisions and projectors to guide users through gauging and adjusting their kit's aspect ratio, brightness, color, contrast and tint. The solution isn't comprehensive, but it promises to work with hardware of any brand. If you don't have an AirPlay setup or cables to pipe content from your iDevice to a larger screen, the application also lends a hand when it comes to tweaking color and tint by leveraging a device's camera and a baked in color filter. As for audio, the app includes a pair of sound tests to make sure speakers are in phase and pump out the right output. THX tune-up won't be available on Android until this Spring, but it's currently up for download on Cupertino's App Store for free -- until it gets slapped with a $1.99 price tag after February 4th, that is. Hit the bordering source link to give it a spin.
Sharp 'Integrated Cognitive Creation' 60-inch 4K LCD goes from prototype to reality in February
We got a preview of Sharp's "Integrated Cognitive Creation" 60-inch 4K LCD during CES early this year, and now it's almost ready to launch in Japan. Branded the ICC PURIOS, it brings a new premium level above previous AQUOS models, thanks to not only the 3,840 x 2,160 resolution but also professional quality image processing that Sharp says brings "unparalleled realism and excitement." This panel is ready for use in video production, and the LC-60HQ10 is also proudly trumpeting its status as the first THX certified 4K display. All of that'll cost buyers, however and when the build-to-order models start shipping on February 20th, 2013, they'll run 2.62 million yen ($31,376). That might not too much to pay if you're mastering the next James Cameron flick, but we'll be keeping an eye out for slightly lower priced Ultra HD TVs next month in Las Vegas.
Gigabyte P2542G gaming laptop hands-on (video)
While we managed to get our hands on Gigabyte's latest graphics card-toting Ultrabook back at CeBIT, we've just finished handling the P2542G (its high-end gaming sibling) at the laptop and motherboard maker's UK launch event. Packing a 15.6-inch 1,920 x 1,080 display, it runs on an Ivy Bridge Core i7-3610QM, with a 2GB NVIDIA GTX 660M card to power PC gaming's latest and greatest. Add in a Blu-ray player and THX-certified dual-woofer sound system and you have the makings of pretty capable beast -- not to mention looking the part with a yellow paint job and dual exhaust vents along the back edge. Read up on our impressions and check out our video hands-on after the break.%Gallery-163222%
MSI GT70 gaming laptop review
MSI outs new GT60 / GT70 gaming laptops, we go hands-on (video) Everything old is new again: NVIDIA rebrands Fermi-based GPUs into 600-series Intel puts Ivy Bridge on the map: promises up to 20 percent faster CPU, doubled graphics, desktop quad-cores from $174 Now that Intel's let the cat out of the bag (and into the Ivy), it's high time we took a look at what manufacturers are going to do with those fancy new processors. Behold: The MSI GT70 gaming laptop, one of the first gaming beasts out of the door with Intel's next generation architecture. Living up to its next-gen CES promises, this 17.3-inch behemoth falls squarely in the desktop replacement category, at 8.6 pounds, and packs a new 2.3GHz Core i7-3610QM processor, NVIDIA's latest GeForce GTX 670M chip with 3GB of video memory, 16GB of DDR3 RAM and a fancy RAID 0 dual SSD setup -- all wrapped in one hefty, formidable package. So how powerful a combination do Ivy Bridge and NVIDIA make? Let's find out.
THX manages AV settings for pros and consumers with Cinespace HD and Media Director
The Star Wars Blu-ray boxed set was the first movie to ship with THX's Media Director technology built-in, which works with compatible hardware to automatically configure AV settings for optimal quality on that title, so it's no surprise the Lucasfilm produced Red Tails is next up for the treatment. Of course, the key element there is compatible hardware, and unfortunately there's not much new to report there since it announced deals with HDI and a few others at CES, although we're assured the team is working on expanding support for its metadata from embedded chip manufacturers. On the content creation side THX also has something to offer with its cineCube HD, a slimmed down edition of its cineSpace offering designed to control color management at every step of the production process for the way it will eventually appear on Blu-ray. There's more details on exactly what it does and how in the press releases, although the real proof will likely be seen in the movies and TV shows it's used on.
MSI GT780 GX rumored specs appear online
There's no official word about this laptop, and if any of you are caught or killed, the secretary will disavow any knowledge. Still, you can't stop a good rumor, which is why details have emerged about a supercharged edition of MSI's GT780DX that dials the original hardware up to 11. The GTI 780GX has a 17.3-inch 1600 x 900 display (with the option to boost it to 1920 x 1080) and weighs a workout-worthy 3.85kg. Justifying that heft is a Core i7 Extreme Edition 2920XM CPU which'll hit 4.16GHz in Turbo mode, thanks to a "Cooler Boost" heat-sink that'll stop the laptop from singeing your flares. Paired up with such a meaty chip is 16GB of DDR3 RAM, a GeForce GTX570M (itself with 3GB of DDR5 inside) and space for two (two!) HDDs that each hold up to 750GB. You'll also get a Steelseries gaming keyboard, THX Sound and a 9-cell battery. Given that the laptop doesn't officially exist yet, there's no word on pricing or availability but we'll keep our eyes peeled.
Panasonic unveils Infinite Black Ultra Panel plasmas for 2012 (eyes-on)
The leader in plasmas TVs keeps stepping up its game with 16 new 3D models for 2012 and one lonely 2D set. At the top of the line is the VT50 series -- 4 is unlucky in Japan -- featuring the new Infinite Black Ultra Panel with blacker blacks than the 2011 VT35 and 24,576 steps of gradation, which should provide more detail in dark scenes. It's too early to tell if this will officially dethrone the king of blacks, but we were able to appreciate the improved performance in a side by side demo. The picture quality isn't the only thing new, 2012 brings DLNA, a new more anti-reflective screen and a web browser that uses a smartphone app to avoid entering data with an onscreen keyboard. There are also new 3D glasses for 2012 that are much ligher and work via Bluetooth -- and of course not compatible with last year's. We wish there were more details (like price and availability) in the press release after the break, but we'd guess this Summer for less than you paid for your 2011 HDTV.
Razer's Project Fiona hands-on (video)
Breaking new ground in the nearly nonexistent market of "hardcore gaming tablets" with renders is interesting, but there's nothing quite grasping something tangible. Razer's project Fiona, for example, is something to grasp -- sporting twin joystick handles on either side, it begs to be held. We couldn't help but oblige, and dropped by Razer's CES booth for a few minutes with the bold Windows 8 slab. Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan gave us the skinny -- read on get it yourself.
CEDIA 2011 odds and ends wrap up: THX, TiVo and plenty of projectors
Another CEDIA is in the books, and if you weren't there, just know the story was -- as it has been in many corners of the country -- the economy. Oh sure, projectors that cost only $10k still seemed value priced, but everywhere you looked companies were extending their products a little closer to the mass market. Whether it's a heavy duty wall mounts, wireless hi fi systems or, most surprisingly, $300 powered shades from companies like Lutron, custom theater equipment is getting cheaper and ready to work in more homes. Interested in remaking a home theater while spending less than $10k and without building an entirely new house around it? 2011 may be your year. As far as the hardware on display, we also got a look at TiVo's new Premiere Elite DVR (hint: it looks and runs like a TiVo) and Dish Network's new Tailgater portable satellite dish. Another treat was an MHL-to-HDMI adapter from DVDO that could make hooking your celly up to pretty much any TV on the go and charging it at the same time easy. At the THX booth, it had its stamp slapped on LG's newest Nano LED lit 3D LCD, as well as a new program for soundbar / subwoofer combinations it says will result in more accurate sound for implementations where surround speakers don't make sense. We also got a demo of its new Media Director protocol that can automatically configure compatible home theater equipment based on the content being watched. The Star Wars Blu-ray discs will be the first ones to ship with the embedded metadata, while partnerships with chipmakers mean software updates could start rolling out shortly for manufacturers that choose to deliver them -- the demo ran on an HDI Dune player -- and next year's new devices should ship with the feature included. The usual slew of projectors included new models from Mitsubishi and Digital Projection, with automatic settings for ultrawidescreen viewing as one of the hot features (other than 4K) this year. For a better look at some of the things we spotted on the show floor check the gallery below, and details in their press releases after the break. %Gallery-133809%
LG's 55-inch LW9800 3D HDTV earns THX certification, our home theater respect
Let's face it. We live in a world chock full of entertainment options. With more means of accessing the visual goods, comes less reason to leave the house. Well, LG's aiming to make the cinema experience even more passé with its 55-inch Nano Full LED Cinema LW9800 3D HDTV set. Recently shown off at CEDIA 2011, the slim, flat panel is the first passive 3D display to garner THX certification, delivering HD enthusiasts closer to true "movie experiences." The 480Hz TV utilizes film-pattern retarder tech to optimize 3D image separation, and also includes LG's Smart TV suite of streaming video services (Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, et al.) and app store. So, if you're ready to roll your eyes at Lucas' latest tweaks from the comfort of your couch, get set to fork over $3,800 and join the at-home grousing.
TiVo Premiere Elite will bring quad tuners, 2TB storage to retail this year
When TiVo announced its first quad tuner DVR, the Premiere Q, fans were devastated to learn it would only be available via cable operators, and that it featured a smallish 500GB hard drive. Fortunately, the company has rectified both of those issues by announcing the TiVo Premiere Elite, a quad tuner Series 4 DVR with 2TB of storage built that will be available through TiVo.com, Best Buy's Magnolia stores and authorized home theater installers. There's no word yet on price or an exact release date, as all of this is still pending a waiver from the FCC allowing TiVo to sell the box without any OTA or analog cable tuners, making this a digital cable (or Verizon FiOS) only experience. It's also THX Certified and most of the press release is dedicated to focusing on the high end nature of the hardware TiVo is unleashing. Also unmentioned so far is any retail edition of the TiVo Preview multiroom extender box, but we should get some hands-on time with this quad tuner edition very shortly during CEDIA 2011. For now, just check out the press release, included after the break, and for our European readers Engadget Spanish has you covered on the launch of the TiVo Premiere for ONO in Spain. Update: The official TiVo.com/elite page is live, and reveals the price as $499 "with service", $499 additional for a lifetime subscription. [Thanks @PhilipSaad] %Gallery-132837%
THX Media Director coming to Star Wars Blu-ray discs
While you were tastefully voicing your concerns over the latest changes to the original trilogy, THX exec Rick Dean let slip that the upcoming Star Wars Blu-ray release will feature the company's new Media Director. The technology offers up metadata on the disc, allowing THX Media Director-enabled home theater devices like TVs and Blu-ray players to adjust to the appropriate settings. The decision to offer up the technology for the Star Wars release first is all about "keeping it in the family" for Lucasfilm, says Dean -- because if there's one thing Star Wars knows, it's keeping it in the family, right? The Blu-ray release is set to September 16th.
MSI outs its latest GE620DX gaming laptop, orcs prepare for virtual slaughter
Spilled Mountain Dew on your last laptop during that marathon session of Starcraft II? MSI's got your back buddy, with its newly announced GE620DX. There's a serious bit of dedicated gaming punch lying under this notebook's brushed metal finish thanks to its 2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, an NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M card and the audio tag team of MSI Premium Sound and THX's True Studio Pro. In addition to its 15.6-inch 1366 x 768 HD display, this "dream machine" sports a 720p camera, an HDMI out port and USB 3.0. The company's also thrown in a GPU Boost feature, which frees up the internal graphics chip should you be running any graphics-intensive apps. Unfortunately, your zerg Swarm-slaying hands will have to wait for an official price and retail date, but when you do get a hold of it, make sure to keep that caffeinated brew far from the keyboard.
Apple hires THX inventor to head up audio projects
Apple has reportedly hired the inventor of THX to head up all its audio projects, Leo Laporte said. Earlier today Laporte tweeted "I have it on good authority that Tomlinson Holman (of THX fame) is joining Apple to run audio. Major upgrade." Holman is a legend in the audio industry. Among his achievements are winning an Academy Award for Technical Achievement in 2002 and inventing the first 10.2 surround sound system. However, Holman is best known for being the chief inventor of Lucasfilm's THX theater sound system. No word yet on what specific projects Holman will be working on at Apple, but I, for one, would love to see the Apple startup chime replaced with the THX sound effect. Is it a coincidence that this move of a former Skywalker Ranch-hand comes to light on Star Wars Day? Hard to know, but all we can say to Tom Holman is "May the Fourth be with you." [via GigaOM]
The audience is listening to this Kinect hack
Ostensibly, Gerry Chu's Kinect hack, "Motion Emotions," was created to "express emotions using movement as a proxy." Specifically, raising one's arms plays a "powerful, motivational sound." In reality, it lets you play the THX "Deep Note" and look flippin' sweet while doing it.
Creative Sound Blaster Tactic 3D Omega headphones have a long name, connect to PC and game consoles wirelessly
We still haven't been able to evaluate Creative's original claim that the Sound Blaster Tactic 3D series can tell up from down, but the company's already got a third set of virtual surround sound headphones. The Sound Blaster Tactic 3D Omega (whew) adds wireless to what looks like a nearly identical set of cans, and connects to PCs, game consoles, and other home audio components with a base station on the other end. At $200, they're not cheap, so we hope Creative's increased the quality of its materials and construction quite a bit -- the original sets were fairly flimsy, as we recall. PR after the break.
LG's CES 2011 HD lineup: SmartTV platform, network Blu-ray players and HDTVs
Thanks to a couple of carefully planned slips over in South Korea, hardly anything about LG's CES 2011 is apt to take you fully by surprise. But if you just so happened to disconnect over the holidays, we'll break it all down below to ensure you remain firmly in the loop. For starters, the outfit seems pretty darn proud of its new SmartTV platform. Hinted at last month, this system enables HDTVs, Blu-ray players and other sources to access all sorts of streaming media, apps and even provides users with a way to surf the web. Four main sections are given -- TV Live, Premium Content, TV Apps and a Launch Bar -- and for TV models, owners will control things with a wave of the hand (read: Magic Remote). SmartTV picks up where NetCast left off, offering access to Vudu, Netflix, YouTube, CinemaNow, Hulu Plus, Amazon Video on Demand, NHL Gamecenter, NBA Game Live and MLB.tv. This here functionality is baked into quite a few of the outfit's 2011 HDTVs, but should own an older model... Then there's the all-new SmartTV upgrader! The ST600 is a minuscule set-top box that aims to transform any TV into a SmartTV. So long as your set has an HDMI input, you'll be able to access the content mentioned above. But, of course, it's on you to source your own Magic Remote. If it's an all-new TV you're after, the company is also revealing its 2011 LED and LCD HDTV line. Nary a one is different than those we heard about last week, but at least you can now rest easy knowing that the LW9500 and LW7700 Nano Full HD 3D models will indeed see a stateside release this month. The best news here is the use of polarizing glasses -- none of that headache-inducing active shutter mess. There are 13 new LED LCD models in all, with nine of 'em shipping with the SmartTV platform embedded. Unfortunately, LG's not dishing out pricing information on these bad boys just yet. Not so keen on picking up an LCD? Plasma still lives, you know! LG's rolling out its 1080p Infinia PZ950 and PZ750 lines here at CES, with both available in 50-inch and 60-inch class sizes. Both lines come equipped with the SmartTV platform, a gesture-based Magic Motion remote andl as a free Android / iPhone app if you'd rather use your phone as a remote. The 50- / 60-inch PZ550 is saddling with NetCast 1.0, but it -- along with the PW350, PZ950 and PZ750 lines -- can handle 3D imagery. Sadly, LG's also straying from providing pricing details on these. Wrapping things up, the company is debuting its 2011 line of networked Blu-ray players and home theater systems. The BD690 supports 3D BD playback and ships with an inbuilt 250GB HDD and the SmartTV platform. The majority of LG's line also includes WiFi, DLNA streaming support and a MusicID feature by Gracenote that enables consumers to play a song from a movie of TV show by mashing a single button on the remote. The BD670, BD650, BD640, BD630 and BD650 are also seeing the light of day, with the latter being LG's first portable BD deck. Finally, LG snuck in an image (seen above) of a 3D mobile TV prototype. We've no details whatsoever to go on, but you can rest assured we'll be scouring the show floor in search of just that. For more information on all of the goods here, head on past the break for the full releases. Don't expect to find any pricing information, though. %Gallery-112603%
